Hoosiers' trip to Duke's Cameron all business

November 28, 2006|MATT DOLLINGER Bloomington Herald-Times

There is a lot more than 838 miles separating Chicago State from Indiana's next opponent. The Hoosiers will find out exactly how big of a difference there really is tonight when they play at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time. Indiana (3-1) will attempt to avenge last year's loss at Assembly Hall when it takes on the No. 9 Blue Devils (4-1) at 9 p.m. in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (ESPN, WSBT-960 AM) "You have to be really careful when you play Duke not to get caught up in who they are and what they've been," Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson said. "You have to play the game. We've got to play basketball." The Blue Devils played the better basketball last season when they came to Bloomington as the No. 1 team in the nation and beat the Hoosiers, 75-67. The Indiana loss came despite what Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called the loudest environment he'd ever experienced on the road. The Hoosiers come into tonight's game not having played in more than a week. Sampson said his team utilized the Thanksgiving holiday to focus on "execution on offense, guarding the ball better and sustaining our concentration for longer periods of time." During a press conference after his team's victory over Chicago State, Sampson openly marveled at the way his team's next opponent competes. "You watch Duke play, and they are on the court diving, scrapping for every rebound, especially when they play at home. We need to go in there and match their intensity," he said. The only starter left from last year's loss to Duke is senior guard Rod Wilmont, who said he would try and help his less experienced teammates prepare for the game. "I've been in big games at Indiana. I need to lead the younger guys ... and let them know how it is to play in a big game," he said. Wilmont, who leads the Hoosiers in scoring with 14.3 per game, vowed his team would be prepared for the ACC/Big Ten Showdown. "We will be ready to play against Duke," he said.Matt Dollinger: mhd@heraldt.com